For me to choose just one experience that has influenced my decision to pursue a career in the arts would be unreasonable, if at all possible. Truthfully, I have always been drawn towards art; the influential forces that I've experienced are countless, whether internal or external.

To be more conventional about my response to the given prompt, I will elaborate upon what I feel have been the continuous influences on my creativity and self-expression.

Art is a process of observation, contemplation, and creation. As an artist I observe any given problem, formulate a creative solution, and then use my mind and my hands to turn it into something tangible. All that I observe influences my art, as do my emotions and inward feelings. The factors affecting my creativity have no limitations. They exist in an endless spectrum of ever changing elements and ideas.

There are the things that I can see with my eyes; the world that I can touch and smell and hear. I take these outer influences and combine them with what I feel inside. The parallels, relationships, and counteractions that arise are channeled into my art work. I have a need to reflect upon these things in a way that makes them my own.

Experiencing the work of my fellow artists has also been greatly influential. It is encouraging and inspiring to observe another person's creativity through their art. I have found that doing so broadens my perspectives and is a key factor to artistic development.

My growth and development as an artist cannot be attributed to a single source. My life as a whole has been a continuous drive to respond, express, and create; a succession of different experiences that have contributed to my artistic development. There is no specific event that stands out to me in terms of a pivoting point for my life. My love for art has always been a part of me. Art is a passion, and experiencing that passion is what makes me who I am and drives me to become who I am meant to be.